Vehicle traffic signal



y 1942- P. s. NIELSEN 2,282,739

VEHICLE TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed Oct. 5, 1940 I awe/M100 I o Pa ers/71025972 Patented May 12, 1942 1 UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE";

VEHICLE TRAFFIC SIGNAL Peter s. Nielsen, Bismarck, N. Dak- Application October 5, 1940', Serial No. 359,942 y 1 Claim. (c1.11c 52) This invention relates to a vehicle traflic signal,

and it is an object of the invention to provide a device of this kind particularly. designed and adapted for use in connection with a body ofa closed type and wherein the signal can bemanually manipulated by an occupant of the vehicle to give notice to traflic of a direction of turn or that the vehicle is about to stop.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a signal of this kind including a semaphore positioned exteriorly of the car body and having associated therewith an operating member disposed within the body, said semaphore being mounted for up and down swinging movement,

or outward swinging movement.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a signal of this kind including a semaphore mounted for swinging movement in selected positions to give desired trafilc signals, together with means for maintaining the semaphore in an inefiective position closely adjacent to the wall of the car body. 1

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved vehicle traflic signal whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device rendered simpler, less expensive, and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of my invention will hereinafter be definitely claimed.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawin wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation illustrating a trafilc signal constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention and in applied position, the adjacent portion of the vehicle being shown in fragment;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure l with certain of the parts in top plan and a second position of the semaphore being indicated by broken lines;

Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 2 with different positions of the semaphore indicated by broken lines.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawing, B denotes a body of a vehicle of a conventional closed type used in connection with automobiles. This body B, as herein disclosed, includes the usual side door D the lower portion of which is of a conventional double metallic: wall construction. 1

The outer wall I of the door D is .provided with a suitably positioned and verticallydisposed slot 2 of desired length. The inner wall 3 of the door D immediately to the rear of the slot.2 is formed to provide a relatively largerecess or pocket 4. y

The signalling arm or semaphore S is arranged exteriorly of the car body B and is positioned closely adjacent to the outer wall of the door D. This signalling arm or semaphore S may be of any desired configuration but of metal" orsuch material to permit a suitably positioned magnetic plug 5 to hold the arm orisemaphore S in substantially a horizontal position closely adjacent 'to the outer wall I' of thedoor or in what may be termed an ineffective position. This plug 5 as is illustrated in Figure 2 is disposed through and supported by the outer wall I of the door D, and

coacting only with the inner surface of the semaphore. The inner end portion of the arm or movement. 7

As the particular mounting of the magnetic plug 5 forms no particular part of the present invention a detailed illustration and description of such mounting is believed unnecessary, other than to state that such mounting is of a character to eliminate the-liability of the magnetic flux being dissipated throughout the body of the vehicle, and more particularly the door D.

The arm or semaphore S is continued by a tail piece 9 extending beyond the hinge connection 8 and this tail piece 9 is provided with an inwardly disposed and substantially perpendicularly related short arm III which passesthrough the vertical slot 2. The inner end of the arm I!) is continued by a perpendicularly related extension arm I l disposed in a direction away from the hinge 8. This extension arm H, as herein disclosed, is integrally formed with an operating handle H. This handle H has an end portion l2 extending inwardly of the recess 4 immediately adjacent an end wall M of the recess and the opposite end portion l5 of the handle H overlies the inner wall 3 of the door D and in close position thereto when the arm or semaphore S is in to the door D as indicated by broken lines in Figure 2, notice will be given to the flowing traffic that the vehicle is about to make a left turn. If a turn is to be made to the right the arm or semaphore S can be readily swung upwardly as indicated by broken lines in Figure 3 and when a stop is to be made the semaphore or arm S can be swung into a lowered position or be oscillated up and down as also indicated by broken lines in Figure 3. I

It is to be noted that these various traffic signals can be effected without the necessity of the driver of the car opening a window as the required manipulation of the arm or semaphore S can be readily accomplished from within the body B through the medium of the handle H. 'It is to be pointed out that the plug 5 offers no undue resistance to the desired movements "or the semaphore S.

Both sides or faces of the arm or semaphore S should be highly reflective and such sides or faces may be of any color preferred.

From the foregoing' description it is thought to be obvious that avehicle traffic signal constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for useby reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification Without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim? r A traflic signal comprising, in combination, a wall structure having a vertically disposed slot, a plate at the outer side of the wall structure, means for pivotally mounting said plate on the wall structure adjacent to the slot, said plate having outward swinging movement with respect to the wallstructure, a semaphore, means for pivotally connecting an end portion of the semaphore to the plate, said semaphore having swinging movementin a direction substantially at right angles to the direction of swinging movement of the plate, the pivotedv end portion of the semaph'ore havin'g a tail piece extending through the slot of the wall structure, a handleconnectedto said tail piece, said handle being at the fside'of the wall structure opposite from the semaphore, and a magnetic plug carried by theouter face of the Wall structure for coaction with the inner surface of the semaphore for releasably holding the semaphore in an ineffective position closely adjacent to the wall structure, said semaphore having' sliding contact with the plug to mow the semaphore to be moved under strain to either side of'the lug. a

PETER S. NIELSEN. 

